Walrus

Walruses sound like church bells. They make a variety of noises from snores, roars and snorts to whistles, teeth clacking, knocking and bell-like tones.

Walruses change color from muddy brown to pinkish cinnamon. That’s because of their circulatory systems, which help them adjust to the surrounding temperatures. When warmer, their blood vessels expand to move blood to their blubber and skin so that the air and water can cool them. This makes them pinker. When colder, the opposite happens. Their blood vessels constrict to reduce the flow to their skin and blubber. This saves body heat and turns them browner.

Walrus have an air sac under his throat, called a ‘pharyngeal pouch,’ that they fill like “life vest” to keep their heads out of the water.

The only natural predators for walruses are polar bears, orcas and humans.

Adult females are generally smaller than males, with an average weight of about 1,900 lbs and an average length of approximately 9 feet. Calves of both sexes weigh between 100 to 150 pounds and are about 4.5 feet in length.

The scientific name for walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, means “toothwalkers.”

Adult Pacific walrus can eat up 4.2 to 6.2 percent of their total body weight (1760-4000 pounds) each day – that’s between 74 and 250 pounds of food per day!

Walrus can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes.

The average size for male walruses is about 10.5 feet long and 2,700 pounds.

Walrus have extra blood to carry oxygen. A walrus’s blood makes up about 12 percent of their weight, compared to seven percent in humans.

Walrus can eat up to 120 lbs of food a day.

You can see walrus in action and learn more through this documentary:

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She specializes in bringing together diverse perspectives — from farmers and indigenous groups to high-level policymakers — to create positive solutions that protect wildlife while improving the livelihoods of those living near the animals.